How to See Parameters in Google Analytics 4

Setting up custom events in Google Analytics 4 is a great first step, but the real value comes from the granular details you track with them. These details are passed along as ‘parameters,’ but finding them inside your GA4 reports can feel like a scavenger hunt. This guide will walk you through exactly how event parameters work in GA4, how to make them visible in your reports, and how you can use them to unlock deeper insights.

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What Are Event Parameters in GA4?

In Google Analytics 4, every user interaction is tracked as an event. An event has a name, like purchase or form_submission. Parameters are the extra pieces of information that provide context about that event.

Think of it like this:

• Event Name: What happened? (e.g., purchase)
• Parameters: What are the details? (e.g., value: 99.99, currency: 'USD', coupon: 'SUMMER_SALE')

In the Universal Analytics (UA) world, we were limited to Event Category, Action, and Label. In GA4, the model is much more flexible. You can add numerous custom parameters to an event to capture precisely the information you need.

There are two main types of parameters:

• Automatically Collected Parameters: GA4 automatically gathers certain parameters with every event, such as page_location (the full URL), page_title, and ga_session_id. You'll already find some of these available in your reports.
• Custom Parameters: These are the parameters you define yourself to capture business-specific information. For example, if you have a sign_up event, you might add a custom parameter called plan_type with values like 'Free Trial', 'Pro', or 'Enterprise'.

It's these custom parameters that often cause confusion. You've set them up in Google Tag Manager, you know they're firing, but they’re nowhere to be found in your standard GA4 reports. Here’s why.

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Event Parameters vs. Custom Dimensions (And Why It Matters)

This is the most important concept to grasp: Google Analytics 4 collects every custom parameter you send, but it won't show them in your reports until you tell it to.

To make a custom parameter usable for reporting and analysis, you must register it as a custom dimension. Think of a dimension as a category you can use to sort, filter, and compare your data. For example, 'City' is a dimension, and you can break down user data by different cities.

By registering a parameter like form_name as a custom dimension, you gain the ability to add it to your reports and answer questions like, "Which forms are being submitted most?" or "How does form A's conversion rate compare to form B's?"

Without this registration step, the parameter data is collected but remains inaccessible for standard reporting.

How to See Your Parameters in Action

Let's walk through the exact steps to unlock your custom parameter data. First, we’ll verify your parameters are being sent correctly, then we’ll register them as custom dimensions, and finally, we’ll show you how to pull them into your reports.

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Step 1: Verify Parameters with DebugView

Before you do anything else, you want to be 100% sure that GA4 is receiving your event and its parameters correctly. Don't wait 24 hours to find out you have a typo. The best way to check this is with the DebugView.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Enable Debug Mode: The easiest way is to use Google Tag Manager. In your GTM workspace, click "Preview." Enter your website's URL and connect. This will open your site in a new tab with GTM's debug console, automatically putting your session into debug mode for GA4.
2. Open DebugView in GA4: Go to your GA4 property, navigate to Admin > Data display > DebugView.
3. Trigger Your Event: In the browser tab connected to the GTM Preview mode, perform the action that triggers your custom event (e.g., fill out and submit the contact form).
4. Find the Event in DebugView: Back in DebugView, you should see your events streaming in live. Click on the event you want to inspect (e.g., form_submission). You will see a list of all the parameters that were sent with that event.

If you see your custom parameter listed there, you're good to go! For instance, you should see your form_name parameter with the actual name of the form as its value. If it's not showing up, go back to Google Tag Manager and double-check your event tag for typos or configuration errors.

Step 2: Register Your Custom Parameter as a Custom Dimension

Once you've confirmed GA4 is receiving your parameter, it’s time to make it an official custom dimension.

1. Navigate to Admin: In your GA4 property, click the gear icon in the bottom-left corner to go to the Admin section.
2. Open Custom Definitions: In the Property column, look for the 'Data display' section and click on Custom definitions.
3. Create a Custom Dimension: You'll see two tabs: 'Custom dimensions' and 'Custom metrics'. Stay on the 'Custom dimensions' tab and click the blue Create custom dimensions button.
4. Configure Your Dimension: A new configuration panel will appear. You need to fill out four fields:
5. Save: Click Save.

That's it! Now for the hard part... waiting. It can take up to 48 hours for new custom dimension data to start populating in your standard reports and Explorations. The good news is that GA4 applies this change retroactively to data it's already collected, but it still won't appear in the interface immediately.

Step 3: Finding Your Custom Parameter Data in Reports

After a day or two, you can start digging into the data you've unlocked. There are two primary places to view your new custom dimension.

Method 1: In Standard Reports (Simple Analysis)

You can add your custom dimension as a secondary dimension to many standard reports.

1. Go to Reports > Engagement > Events.
2. Click on the event name you're interested in from the list (e.g., form_submission).
3. You'll now be looking at a detailed report for that specific event. Look at the table of data. Click the blue '+' sign next to the 'Event name' primary dimension.
4. A search box will appear. Type the name of the custom dimension you created a couple of days ago (e.g., "Form Name"). Alternatively, you can browse under the Custom section to find it.
5. Select your dimension. The table will update, and you'll now see your event data broken down by your custom parameter, like a list of submitted forms and their event counts.

Method 2: In Explorations (Advanced Analysis)

The real power of custom dimensions comes alive in the Explorations section. This is where you can build completely custom reports and Funnels.

Let's build a simple free-form report to analyze our form submissions:

1. In the left-hand navigation, click Explore and start a new Blank exploration.
2. Give your exploration a name at the top, like "Form submission analysis."
3. Import Dimensions and Metrics:
4. Build the Report:
5. Filter the Report:

Instantly, your canvas on the right will show a clean report listing all your different submitted forms and the total count for each. Now you're no longer just counting how many forms were submitted, you're seeing which specific ones are getting all the attention.

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Final Thoughts

Seeing your custom parameters in Google Analytics 4 mostly comes down to one crucial step: registering them as custom dimensions. Once you verify your parameters in DebugView, it unlocks a massive level of granular analysis you can use for standard reports or build tables from scratch in Explorations for a deeper dive and more insight.

While an extremely valuable tool to have in your reporting tech stack, getting granular data from Google Analytics and other data sources can be time-consuming, sometimes, asking questions takes hours of data searching and report consolidation. Graphed was created to reduce the need for that kind of manual process and bring simplicity to connecting all sides of your business’s data and provide actionable reports. We simplify the entire reporting process by securely linking your tools and empowering you to use plain language to build real-time monitoring and reporting dashboards within seconds.